Ashamed

My orthodox nineteen year old cousin updated his Facebook status today to read: “[x] is ardently supporting the IDF and their previosuly [sic] taken actions in addition to hoping there will be no cease fire”.* Hoping he was joking, I asked “Why would you hope for no cease fire?” He replied, “So we can finally end rocket attacks on Israel once and for all.” “By just wiping all the Palestinians out?” I inquired sarcastically. His sixteen year old sister answered, “yah if we can.”

There is absolutely nothing I want to say to these two children right now that wouldn’t wreak havoc in our family later. But I am ashamed.

*This was probably a response to my own Facebook status, which is currently “Uccellina wrote to her congresspeople to demand the US work for a cease-fire in Gaza NOW.” My letter, for those inclined to write their own, went as follows: “As a Jewish woman and a mother, I ask you to ensure that the United States employs all diplomatic means to move for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, and suspends all weapons deliveries and all military resupply to the IDF while it campaigns in Gaza. The AP reports that Gaza’s largest hospital is completely overwhelmed, and few if any of the casualties are militants. Please, please help put an end to this.”

Advertisements

Like this:

LikeLoading...

Related

gardener said,

SAC said,

It is unbelievable how the media treats the Gaza matter as a one way street! If it weren’t for Hamas rocketing Isreal whenever they feel like it, and the supposedly innocent palestinians allowing this to happen, Isreal would not have to retaliate! Put yourself in their shoes…..How would you feel that on any given day your neighbor throws a few hand grenades in your yard, maybe killing a few of your family members every now and then?
How long do you think you would put up with their actions before you hit them back? Not very long is my Guess!! Isreal has the right to defend itself using any means necessary. Stop the rocket attacks once and for all, and I am sure the IDF will stop their actions on those responsible. As for civilian casualties… collateral damage occurs in every war. Even moreso when COWARDS hid behind them!! Good riddens to bad rubbish!!

My cousin (who is an adult and not Orthodox) changed his profile picture to the Israeli flag, and has been using his status updates to express similar sentiments. I know, from the fight we had after he found out that my husband and I had signed that Open Letter From American Jews that was going around years ago, that there’s no hope for changing his mind. But I, too, am ashamed.

kathy a. said,

one of my closest internet friends, someone who gave me so much support and strength during some pretty awful family crises and deaths, lives in israel. and — her town has been under rocket attack by hezbollah in the past, which is obviously appalling and frightening. but i cannot bear to talk with her about israelis and palestinians because she essentially has a “kill them all” attitude as well. it just astonishes me that someone who can be so caring in other ways can possibly think this way. i just keep deleting those kinds of emails.

i’m not jewish. most of my jewish friends are liberal anti-violence kinds of people. it is really hard to understand the strength of this “wipe them off the face of the earth” mentality.

oslowe said,

its nice to know that the bloodthirsty and obnoxious also can’t spell to save their lives…

But all (ball)Sac(k) aside, the part that pisses me off in situations like this IS the one-sided appraisal of it- where One Side making attacks on a Civilian Population makes it acceptable for retaliatory strikes of the same base and cowardly nature. While I certainly Do Not question Israel’s (see? It isn’t that hard!) right to defend itself, I do question the complete blindness of armchair observers frothing at the mouth FOR collateral damage. Am I allowed to curse on your blog? Because I want to.

What I want to know is when it became “Anti-Semitic” to question Israel’s attacks on a civilian population- its seeming unwillingness to allow non-combatants to withdraw- because that seems to be an overriding sentiment and it makes me fXXXing sick to my stomach.

Here lets try this on for size: I do not hate Jews. I do not hate Israel or Israelis. I DO question the tactics being used by the IDF. Does this make me a Bad Man, an anti-Semite? Why should I accept Israel’s strong-arming a Civilian population- granting that there is a militant faction hiding within it- if I also refuse to accept ANY collateral damage as being acceptable? I think what the US has been doing in Iraq is equally odious. Don’t get me started on Africa. I don’t understand why so many seem to feel Israel gets a free pass (actually I have a horrible theory, but if it’s true I really, really don’t want to know).

It must be hard having family members who believe that invading Gaza and killing others is okay. Kudos to you for writing and being open about your beliefs! (If I write any more, it might turn into an unstoppable rampage….)

About

I write. I knit. I kvetch. Lately, I’ve been endeavoring to undermine the patriarchy while simultaneously making a sweater. If I succeed, I will nominate myself for the Guinness Book of World Records and then throw a party.
I can be e-mailed at ucc3llina at gmail dot com.